Of Dragons and Eagles
by Mackerel
Summary: The viole is shot down by Fanelia and all perish but a crimson eyed boy. This is what would happen if Dilandau was captured by Van and the effect it would have on him. R&R!
1. painful reintroductions

Disclaimer: you know the score. :)

**Of Dragons and Eagles**

He ran through the forest panting and trying to push his way through  
the foliage.  
Things were not going well. The Viona had been burnt to the ground and  
his Dragon slayers were all dead. Allen and Van's soldiers had swarmed  
the wreckage once it had landed and he had only just slipped away.  
Sliding to a stop, he brushed the wet silvery hair out of his eyes and  
leaned against a tree.  
I can't believe this. I'm supposed to be invincible!  
He knew quite well what would happen if he was caught. There was no way  
in hell that he was going to receive a quick death. He would be  
tortured for information and that was something he wasn't going to allow.

"Dilandau Albiotou. We know you're in there! You're surrounded and you  
would be wise to give yourself up."  
Dilandau spun round and peered into the trees behind him. They couldn't  
have caught up with him that quickly, could they?

"Come quietly!"

"Never! I'll never be one of your stupid mindless slaves! I'm Dilandau  
Alboitou, leader of the Dragon Slayers! I.."

_But they're dead aren't they Dilandau? And it's your entire fault._

Dilandau shook his head and braced himself for a fight as a number of  
soldiers began to creep towards him backing him towards the edge of a  
cliff.  
_Be quiet._ He told the voice in his head and he watched a familiar  
figure walk through the soldiers and towards him.  
Dilandau narrowed his eyes and felt a deep growl in the back of his  
throat.  
Van.  
Van smirked in triumph as he watched the once feared leader step back  
towards the cliff.  
"Dilandau, how nice to see you. We almost thought that you had gone  
down with the Viole, but apparently.." he glanced at Dilandau's bleeding  
shoulder. "not." He finished with an extra smile for good luck.  
All at once the smile vanished from his face as he stepped forward and  
drew his sword.

"Surrender."

Dilandau narrowed his eyes and charged with a scream. It didn't last  
long. He was disarmed in a matter of minutes and was backed slowly  
towards the edge of the cliff.  
Dilandau turned and glanced behind him. It was a long way down.  
A sharp point met with his throat and he tore his eyes away to meet  
with a pair of brown eyes that held nothing but distain for him.

"Hands up" Van ordered.

Dilandau stared and felt his anger grow as he watched Allen smirk  
behind Van's back.

"UP I SAID!"

Slowly, but never taking his eyes off Van, he raised his hands and  
waited for Allen to step forward with a pair of manacles that were  
promptly clapped around his wrists and clamped onto a steel ring at the back  
of Vans horses saddle.  
Dilandau sighed. How could have this have happened?

"Lets move out, and Dilandau? Do try to keep up. It's a good twenty leagues to Fanelia."

Dilandau tried to dig his heels into the ground as the horses started to move and was only met with a hard shove from behind which sent him stumbling and a string of curses left his mouth.

Van turned around with a lazy smile on his face.

"Allen, is there any way to keep our guest quiet?"

Allen smiled and strode over to Dilandau.

"What are yo..?" Dilandau started to say but was cut off by a piece of dirty cloth pushed into his mouth.

Van laughed at Dilandau's discomfort.

"And if you think we're bad, just you wait till the people of fanelia get their hands on you. After all, you're responsible for most of the widowed women in the city."

Dilandau's eyes widened. No, if the people got their hands on him, well, it wasn't worth thinking about.

Van studied Dilandau for a while then laughed heartily and set his steed off into a trot.  
"Onwards to Fanelia!"


	2. welcome to hell

Chapter 2.

Disclaimer blah blah blah blah. We all know I don't own Escaflowne. (Growls)

The streets of Fanelia were full of life and were bustling with people of all different origins; Bird people, wolf people even the famed cat people as well as humans. All of which were nearly destroyed by Zabaich in the war. Zabaich had however, lost, having all of its soldiers killed in the battle or as war criminals during trials of Fanelia, so it was with some surprise that the people, saw the king riding through the town square with a battered and rather forlorn person being dragged behind his horse.

Whispers echoed around the crowd that had gathered from stalls, doors and other such places and stared as the king slowed his horse to a walk.

Van kept his horse at a steady walk, smiling grimly as he turned his horse in the direction of the town fountain, and as he contemplated what he would do with dilandau, he gave the rope a sharp jerk sending the person on the other end, flying into the mud and forced to be dragged along for the rest of the short journey.

Van smiled as he heard the muffled whimpers as dilandau tried to hold back the pain he was feeling as each and every cobblestone jarred his injured shoulder.

"People of Faneila," he began. " We have suffered too long under Zabaich, but now, now, the flying fortress has been destroyed!"

A cheer went up as Van dismounted from his horse and raised a hand for silence.

" That is not all my people," he shouted over the roar. " We have proof both living and dead!"

At this point, he stole a glance at dilandau, who had turned a sallow colour and was still lying in the mud, too weak to stand up. Van smiled. This was what dilandau was: lower than mud and beneath his heel at all times. It was what he deserved.

"I offer you Dilandau Albiotou, the coward who killed most of our beloved people!" Van shouted as he dragged dilandau up by the collar of his jacket and thrust forward to the crowds who began to bay for his blood.

Dilandau tried to push himself back towards the pathetic safety of the horses, but was met with a jeer from Allen and pushed back towards the crowds.

"He is yours, my people, to do with as you wish for an hour a day. Unless our _murderer _has something to say?"

Dilandau screamed as hands roamed all over his face, hair, body and began to rip off his armour, discarding it into the hands of eager children who threw them onto the bonfire and laughed as he stared in horror as the metal melted into nothing.

_It's what you deserve Dilandau. Admit it._

"No," he moaned as a young woman came forward and slapped him across the face, causing his lip to split and to fall back into the mud with a solid 'thud'.

More and more people began to come forward, each with their own score to settle, bloodthirsty lust in their eyes.

In the distance, dilandau could hear Van laughing with Allen and the words,

" Only another forty five minutes to go dilandau!"

Dilandau curled into a ball in the mud to hide from the blows, and wept.

"How do you feel now murderer? Anything to say? Hmm?"

Dilandau said nothing and stared at the pool of mud mixed with blood. His blood. His wrists were chaffed from the manacles and he bled everywhere. The pain was too much to bear, both emotionally and physically.

"Just say those little words I want to hear, and things could be a lot easier for you. A LOT easier dilandau." Van whispered as he crouched down beside dilandau and caressed his cheek. Dilandau jerked his bruised cheek away, earning himself another slap in the process.

"Do not defy me dilandau. I can make your life very difficult. Remember that." Van hissed in annoyance as dilandau lowered his head again, hiding the tears of shame that were threatening to leak out.

Dilandau felt ashamed. For the first time in his life he wanted to be left alone and wished that he were back on the Viole laughing with his dragon slayers and training with them. How had this happened?

Flashback

"Enemy approaching sir, at ten o'clock. Shall we attack?"

"Fire away Gatti and make sure you don't miss this time." Dilandau snarled as he walked past the back of the chair Gatti was sitting in and gave it a hard shove for good measure.

Dilandau stared out of the window watching as the enemy drew closer to the Viole, the white dragon at the front leading the attack.

"_Van._" Breathed Dilandau.

"Miguel, fetch my guymelef at once. I'm going dragon hunting." He said with a smirk as he strode out of the room.

Dilandau walked into the hanger and began to climb into his guymelef.

"Liquid claw activated."

Switching on the controls and strapping himself in he began to rise off the floor and with a sudden burst of air he flew off into the air towards Van, laughing manically.

"Oh Van, guess what I got for you?" Dilandau called out in a singsong voice as he readied his claw in the right position.

"Dilandau, I should have known, they'd send you out here." Van replied with disgust over the intercom. "Still, it doesn't matter. You'll be gone soon enough."

"What are you talking about you idiot?"

"Look."

Dilandau spun round in his seat and covered his eyes as he watched the viole go up in flames and eventually explode, feeling the heat travel across the sky.

"Miguel, Gatti, Dalet, all gone." He whispered in horror and failed to notice the sword aimed towards him and it was only when he felt pain shoot through his shoulder and feel the warm sticky blood travel down his arm that he realised that it was all a trap.

"Warning. Power malfunction. Guymelef will descend in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

The guymelef began to fall out of the sky towards the remains of the Viole and dilandau began to struggle to release the catch on his safety belt, but too late. The guymelef crashed to the ground and landed a few meters away from the wreckage in some trees, silver liquid filling up inside of it. Dilandau gasped for breath and dragged himself out of the seat as the belt had flown off somewhere during descent. Crawling out of the guymelef, he took a sharp intake of breath as he felt his shoulder. It was going to need a lot of stitches.

Dilandau stared at the wreckage; still uncomprehending that he had been on there only a few moments ago.

A whirring noise distracted Dilandau from his thoughts and he began to limp into the direction of the trees holding his bleeding shoulder.

Dilandau lowered his head even further. This had to be the worst type of torture ever, stuck under his enemies' heel at all times.

A hand appeared in dilandau's line of vision and he resisted the urge to bite down hard on it, instead allowing it to caress his scarred cheek, almost gently.

"I've missed having a toy to play with for so long. Especially one under my control." Van purred as he watched Dilandau's discomfort. Yes it would be fun to break him, bit by bit.

**Ooooooooo, how about that then? And don't worry; it's not the other type of pet I'm referring to. This is pretty much clean, no Slash involved. **

REVIEWS Chris, I've added in the flashback you wanted. Hope this clears things up.

Read and review peps!


	3. choices are given, decisions are made

Chapter 3

Reviews

Higashikaze- I might make this part of a larger fic, but at the moment, my muse keeps running away! Stupid muse.

**Mai Tenshi- I know! I just had to turn the tables around. After all, you can't really blame Van and Allen can you? (even if they are toooo mean!) But I think we all love Dilly too much to hurt him too bad…. Hehe.**

**Dilandau- what does **_that _**mean?**

**Mackerel- erm, nothing! (sweatdrop)**

**Dilandau- hmm, make sure it stays that way!**

**Mackerel- (under her breath) that's what you think.**

**Dilandau- WHAT!**

**Mackerel- hehe, nothing, nothing at all! Snigger.**

**Yoru no Kuronue- Hehe. That other sort of pet had crossed my mind. Still, slash isn't all bad now is it, especially between two fitties! But no, its not slash.**

**Kitsunechibiko- Awww, thank you!**

**Macky- hmmm, I suppose Merle will have to come into it, now that ya mention it…**

Now, on with the story!

Dilandau didn't know what hurt more: his pride or his back. Van had taken it upon himself to make sure that Dilandau knew his place personally and so weeks of pain had begun. The days would usually start with interrogation in Dilandau's cell, situated in the highest tower of the palace. He wasn't deemed safe enough to sleep in Vans room yet, till he was fully broken in and so the 'training' began.

The training could involve anything from cutting, whipping, starving, isolation and more often than enough, drugging, sending Dilandau into hazes of delirium and images of the sorcerers plagued him for hours. This would all continue until Dilandau screamed 'yield' or screamed mercy from his torturers and today Dilandau had finally cracked.

He sat in the corner of his cell, eyes never leaving the door, rubbing his grimy arms, trying to keep warm and conserve any little body heat he had left. Weeks of living in this filth infested cell had made Dilandau unrecognisable. His once silver hair had been reduced to a mud brown and the once toned physic was beginning to waste away, covered in scars, infected from dirt, but no one had seen any reason to tend to, seeing it as something he was undeserving of, and so they became infected and festering. Clothes were the same; all he wore was a pair of ripped leggings that most likely wouldn't last much longer. His lavender tunic had been ripped off him on the day he had been captured and discarded in the market place, when he had been thrown to the masses and his boots? Well he hadn't seen them for weeks and had given up any hope of finding them.

Footsteps sounded outside his cell and Dilandau perked his ears up.

He didn't expect any 'visitors' today, unless…

The door swung open and Dilandau shield his eyes against the sudden barrage of light flooding into his small cell.

"Sleep well?"

Dilandau raised his head and squinted at the silluettes in the door frame. His bemused expression turned into anger.

"Van."

Van stepped forward and stood over Dilandau with a knowing smirk.

"I have a proposition Dilandau. There are two choices: one, you agree to my terms, living as my personal manservant, allowing me control over every aspect of your life and you _live._ Two, you swear, shout and attempt to kill me as you have done for the past month, and I arrange for your execution and you _die._"

Dilandau looked up in horror, He would rather die than serve this little piece of shit! But then his mind began to clear itself, the first time in weeks: if he agreed to the first choice then he could pretend to be the obedient little servant then escape when he had the chance. He could sacrifice his pride for a little bit longer……

"Well?"

Dilandau turned his head towards Van and ducked his head submissively.

" Where do I begin Lord Van?"

Van smiled.


	4. interlude to a bigger picture

**Chapter 4. **

**Interlude to a bigger picture**.

"Do you know what trousers are supposed to go with this shirt?"

No answer.

"Dilandau? Are you even listening to me? DILANDAU!!!!!!!!???"

Dilandau, who had previously been staring out of the room in Van's room with a wistful expression, jerked to attention, spinning around to face Van. Seeing the angry on his face and the hands on the hips, Dilandau dropped his gaze to the floor, clasping his hands behind his back, adopting a submissive pose befitting one of his station. Nothing more that a slave, minus the brand. Yet.

" I..I..I apologise Lord Van… I.."

No other word passed Dilandau's lips as he was struck forcibly across the face, his wild silver hair covering one side of his face, splitting a lip, and leaving a heavy handprint in its wake.

"Listen here Dilandau," Van hissed, stalking towards him, forcing Dilandau to take a step back, trapping himself between the hard cold stone wall and the angry wrath of Van.

"You are my _slave, _all but marked. You do as I say, when I say. You stand to attention, when I talk to you. You don't look at me in the eye, and you certainly don't think that I will ever, _ever_ let you go! Got it!? You. Are . Mine . Got it?!"

"Yes, Lord Van. I understand. It wont happen again." Dilandau ducked his head, hiding the pain he felt at being degraded so badly. This was not what he was supposed to be doing! he was supposed to be razering villages to the ground with his team of dragon slayers, but all that was over. He was nothing but a pathetic slave, running to do every whim for that insufferable half breed Van.

The worst was yet to come.


End file.
